Picture Us

By Shayla Mist

Chance has lost two things in the past year: his only remaining family and his passion for photography. He didn’t expect to get any of them back or to gain anything new, until he finds out his childhood crush, Terrance, is gay. But either Terrance isn’t interested in him or he has a real hang-up about dating younger men. Can Chance make him change his mind?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing
• Release date: Jun 2, 2016
• ISBN: 9781786450531

Book preview

Picture Us

by

Shayla Mist

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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Copyright 2016 Shayla Mist at Smashwords.

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/ShaylaMist

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Beaten Track Publishing

www.beatentrackpublishing.com

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This novel is a work of fiction and the characters and events in it exist only in its pages and in the author’s imagination.

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Chance has lost two things in the past year: his only remaining family and his passion for photography. He didn’t expect to get any of them back or to gain anything new, until he finds out his childhood crush, Terrance, is gay. But either Terrance isn’t interested in him or he has a real hang-up about dating younger men. Can Chance make him change his mind?

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Table of Contents

Picture Us

Epilogue

Acknowledgements

About the Author

By the Author

Beaten Track Publishing

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Picture Us

CHANCE

Touching the cold black granite marking his uncle’s grave, Chance felt helpless. Next to it, his aunt’s gravestone called to him, riddling him with guilt and anger alike. They’d died stupidly, because of someone else. One day they were alive and well, the next…bam! Just like that. They’re gone forever, he thought, barely suppressing a sob. There was so much he hadn’t told them, and now they’d never know.

A gentle touch on his arm tugged him out of his regret. With a sigh, Chance leaned into Terrance’s reassuring warmth, welcoming the steadying pressure of Terrance’s arm around his shoulders, and let himself be led away from the graves.

Let’s go home, Terrance whispered in his ear and Chance blindly nodded. He wished they actually had a home together, Terr and him, but it was just a manner of speech. Terrance was the childhood crush, and that home—his aunt and uncle’s house, once filled with happy childhood memories—was nothing but a vacant dwelling now that they were gone.

He didn’t care where they went. Nothing really mattered these days, except Terrance. Ten years Chance’s senior, Terrance was the family friend and neighbor who stopped by all the time to check everyone was doing okay, and he’d continued doing so while Chance had been away, traveling the world as a nature photographer. One look had reawakened all the memories, all the desire he’d bottled inside, the suppressed attraction that had come flooding back like an avalanche.

He’d hoped things had changed, that Terrance would have turned old and ugly, no longer the man that teenage Chance had found so desirable, although he knew in his heart he’d have still felt the same. Appearance had nothing to do with who Terrance was inside—a gentle, kind, humorous and protective man, or that’s how Chance had always thought of him. He was perhaps a little bulkier than before, and his hair, which had always made Chance think of rich, smooth milk chocolate, had a few gray strands running through it. Crinkles had formed around his to-die-for forest-green eyes, but there was no denying it. Terrance was still damn gorgeous—like an older, kinder version of the tall, hunky firefighters in the calendar that had once adorned Chance’s bedroom wall. No wonder Terrance had been the object of all Chance’s teenage fantasies. Who else?

Come on, Chance, Terrance gently urged him.

Chance was suddenly enfolded in a hug. He hoped Terrance wouldn’t feel his body shaking, and that he’d be able to hold back the tears from spilling again. Yet the way Terrance felt against him made Chance want to surrender to his grief, and he pushed him away before he embarrassed himself.

I know, Chance. I know it hurts like hell. I miss them too, Terrance whispered, wiping a stray tear from Chance’s cheek. Hell, they were my second parents.

Chance nodded but wasn’t capable of saying anything in reply. Luckily, Terrance wasn’t waiting for one, and they made their way out of the cemetery in silence. Chance climbed into his rental car and followed Terrance’s Jeep to Aunt Patty and Uncle John’s house; he’d gone straight from the airport to the cemetery, so it would be his first time seeing the house since they’d passed. Just thinking about it felt painful and lonely.

The drive took only fifteen minutes, nowhere near long enough to prepare. Chance stepped out of the car, soon joined by Terrance, and they stood watching the house for a long time. Eventually, Chance dragged his suitcases out of the trunk.

I…I should… He motioned to his luggage, then the house, but Terrance beat him to it.

Here, let me help.

He effortlessly lifted the two heavy suitcases, leaving Chance with only his shoulder bag. Chance regarded Terrance with unmasked disbelief. After all these years, Terrance was still acting like Chance was a little kid in need of help. Admittedly, when he was sixteen, there had been times he’d desperately